The Nugget:
Ephesians 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
My Comment:
One of the amazing things about the Bible is just how much information is packed into a single sentence, or, as here, a part of a sentence. Sometimes Paul wrote quite long sentences, as here. This verse, too, makes a statement about the seventh of over forty attributes of God on my list, the Sovereignty of God.
I just lately read a book by Palmer on the Five Points of Calvinism. I noticed especially how he linked the doctrine of the sovereignty of God to his exposition of those points. If Palmer’s exposition of those Five Points is representative of the Reformed doctrine of Scripture, it surely demonstrates both how and why theologians of this school of thought place such an emphasis upon the doctrine of God’s sovereignty.
Clearly the Bible declares God is sovereign. But the Bible does not contain the kind of emphasis and prominence given to the doctrine of Sovereignty by many Calvinists. The same thing is true of the doctrine of Predestination. The Bible declares the wonderful and gracious truth that God has predestinated us to be conformed to the character of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible nowhere declares that anyone is irrevocably or irretrievably predestined to eternal punishment in hell even before they were ever born!
Try studying Ephesians 1:11 by means of the cross references I have furnished below. Consider also the explanatory notes I have given for other parts of the verse, solidly backed by Scripture.
For those who desire to DIG DEEPER into this subject:
(1) Consult the cross references given in Nelson’s Cross Reference Guide to the Bible on page 1358 for Ephesians 1:11.
(2) Consult the cross references given in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge on pages 1377-1378 or in Logos 5 or 6 Bible software for Ephesians 1:11.
(3) Consult the cross references given in the original Treasury of Scripture Knowledge on page 137 of the NT or on line at www.blueletterbible.org for Ephesians 1:11.
(3) Most people today do not have access to those three print resources, so I have posted cross references for this passage as I have developed them even more completely for your study as given below:
Ephesians 1:11. obtained an inheritance. Gr. eklērōthēmen, *S#2820g, only here. See related word, prosklēroō, Ac 17:4 (consorted). From klēroō, to assign by lot, to make a heritage. See +*Jsh 14:2n. **Ezk 45:1. Care must be taken not to spiritualize this inheritance. In Scripture there is but one inheritance, promised to Abraham, not yet accomplished (+*Ac 7:5), but certain of fulfillment, being confirmed by an oath (Ge 15:8-18. Mic 7:20. He 6:13, 18), whereby Jesus Christ the Messiah (Zc 14:4, 9), and Abraham personally upon resurrection (+*Mt 8:11, 12) through Him, together with we the saints as co-heirs and co-inheritors (Ro 8:17) of the same promise given in the Abrahamic covenant (Ro 4:11, 12, +*Ro 4:13), shall inherit the land forever (**Da 7:14. **Lk 1:32, 33. 1 Cor 15:24n. **Re 11:15), not some ethereal mansion (+*Jn 14:2, 3) in the third heaven (2 Cor 12:2), as the following reference passages abundantly confirm. ver. *+Ep 1:14, 18. **Ep 5:5. Le 25:23. =Nu 18:20. Dt 4:20. =Dt 10:9. *Dt 32:9. 1 S 2:8. +*Ps 37:18. 68:16. **Ps 69:35, 36. +*Ps 94:14. 106:5. **Ps 132:11-14. =Song 2:16. Is 8:8. *Is 60:21. +*Ezk 38:16. =Ezk 44:28. Joel 2:18. +**Mt 5:5. +*Mt 25:34. Jn 1:11. Ac 7:5n. +*Ac 20:32. +*Ac 26:18. *Ro 8:17. **Ga 3:16-18. *Col 1:12. *Col 3:24. *Titus 3:7. He 1:14. 9:15. +*James 2:5. **1 P 1:4. *1 P 3:9. being predestinated. See on ver. Ep 1:5. Lk 22:29. +*Ro 8:29, +Ro 8:30. 1 Th 2:12. according to. *Ep 3:11. +*Dt 2:30. +*Ps 115:3. +*Pr 21:1. +Is 14:27. 46:10, 11. *+Ro 8:28. +*Ro 9:18. *2 Tim 1:9. Re 4:11. the purpose. Gr. prothesis [S#4286g: Rendered (1) purpose: Ac 11:23. 27:13. Ro 8:28. 9:11. Ep 1:11. 3:11. 2 T 1:9. 2 T 3:10. (2) shewbread: Mt 12:4. Mk 2:26. Lk 6:4. He 9:2]. See on ver. Ep 1:9. Ep 3:11. 1 S 12:22. 2 Ch 25:16. Jb 9:12. Is 23:9. Je 4:28. 25:28. Lk 12:32. Ro 8:28. 9:11. +*2 Tim 1:9. who worketh. Gr. energeō (S#1754g, Mt 14:2). ver. Ep 1:20g. Ep 2:2. Ec 9:11. *Is 43:13. *La 3:37. +Mt 14:2. Ro 7:5. 1 Cor 12:6. all things. T#260. +Dt 2:30 (T#267). +1 S 2:7 (T#3). +2 S 7:14 (T#265). *1 Ch 29:12. +2 Ch 18:31 (T#264). Jb 33:29. 42:2. *Ps 135:6, 7. 147:8, 9, 15-18. *Pr 16:33. Is 26:12. +*Is 45:7. Je 10:13. +Da 1:9 (T#266). +*Am 3:6. *Mt 10:29, 30. Ac 15:18. +*Ro 8:28. 11:36. 1 Cor 12:6. *Phil 2:13. *He 13:20, 21. the counsel. Gr. boulē (S#1012g, Lk 7:30). See on ver. Ep 1:8. Jb 12:13. 36:23. *Ps 33:11. Pr 8:14. 19:21. Is 5:19. 9:6. 25:1. 28:29. 40:13, 14. **Is 46:10-13. Je 23:18. 32:19. 49:20. 50:45. Da 4:35. Zc 6:13. Mt 1:19g. *Lk 7:30. 10:21. Ac 2:23. 4:28. *+Ac 20:27. *Ro 11:34. Col 2:3. He 6:17. 1 J 2:1. Re 3:18. his own will. God the Father is sovereign. Ps 24:1. 115:3. Ec 7:13. Is 45:9. Da 4:25, 35. 11:3. Jon 1:14. Mt 11:26. 20:15. +*Mt 28:19n. Lk 4:25. +*Ro 9:18 (T#234). 1 Cor 12:11. Ga 1:4. *Phil 2:13. Re 4:11.